WILLIAMSTOWN, Massachusetts ­ Amherst and Williams Colleges have been athletic rivals ever since 1859, when the Lord Jeffs defeated Williams in the first-ever intercollegiate baseball game, a 73-32 final in Pittsfield, Mass. The rivalry gained a new sport on Saturday, when the Amherst and Williams womenıs golf teams played what is believed to be the first-ever dual match between the two teams, with the Jeffs prevailing at the Taconic Golf Club in Williamstown, by a final of 355-371.

First-year sensation Kathryn Kuchefski (Wellesley, MA) paced the Jeffs on Saturday, shooting an 84, three shots off Williamsı Katie Nicoll, whose 81 paced all scorers. After Nicoll, however, the Ephs only placed one other player under 96, while the Jeffs boated threejunior Captain Jaime Ratner (Liberty, NY), who shot an 86, sophomore Jeannie Limpert (Bethesda, MD), who posted a 91, and sophomore Katie Gravel (Manchester, ME), who shot a 94. The quartet combined to give Amherst a match score of 355, compared to the Ephs, who finished with a team total of 371.

Amanda Robinson posted an 86 for Williams, Kristin Engelbrecht-Bleem shot a 96, and Lisa Stern rounded out the Williams scorers with a 108. For Amherst, sophomore Kasarin Chakkaphak (New York, NY) was the lone golfer not to figure in the team score, finishing with a 96 for the day.

The Taconic Golf Club, which is owned by Williams, has been rated one of the top collegiate courses in the nation. It has hosted its share of notable tournaments, including the 1999 NCAA Division III Menıs Golf Championship. Saturday, it played at 5,202 yards overall.
Saturday, October 7, 2000 at the Taconic Golf Club, Williamstown, Massachusetts